The magic of Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to impress as Cubs keep surging

Another day, another electric Pete Crow-Armstrong highlight as the Chicago Cubs steamrolled the Washington Nationals by a 14-1 final to secure a second consecutive series sweep and win their sixth straight contest.

In the top of the fourth, with the Cubs already leading 3-1, Nico Hoerner reached to lead off the frame. In stepped PCA, who laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line. There was no reason for third baseman Jose Tena to even attempt a play on it, but he did and wound up throwing the ball away down the right-field line.

Hoerner raced around from first to score and Crow-Armstrong easily made it to third on the play. It was just one play, but it perfectly encapsulated the magic - and the chaos - the speedy Cubs rookie brings to this lineup.

Crow-Armstrong finished the day with three knocks and a pair of runs, pushing him to an 88 OPS+ on the season. When paired with his elite defense and baserunning, that makes him a very solidly above-average ballplayer. But when you look at this recent stretch, he's been much more than that: he's been one of the best players in the entire league.

Since July 27, he's slashing .330/.378/.551 with just 18 strikeouts in 109 at-bats. The power has been an impressive turn of events for a guy more known for his legs than the pop in his bat, but it's been a welcome change. With PCA and Miguel Amaya seemingly turning the corner in August, the Cubs lineup looks completely different than the listless group we saw earlier in the year.

I hate making the Javier Baez comps, but it's probably the best one in terms of helping Cubs fans understand the energy and havoc Crow-Armstrong is capable of injecting into any play (on offense or defense). If Chicago manages to pull off a late-season comeback for the ages, it will be due, in no small part, to the emergence of one of the most exciting young players in the game.